I DNF’d the Leadville 100 one year at mile 95 with time still on the clock to finish… my justification was that I already had one of their belt buckles… and I didn’t need that extra jewelry that they give the women that finish… And what if I end up with that ‘Last Ass” trophy that’s half of a donkey that they give to the last person that finishes by the 30hr cut off. I was having such a solid race until around mile 80 and things started to slow down significantly… I just was done. I think my husband was more disappointed about my insistence that I just didn’t want to continue … and I have to say I would get a little emotional over the next few years every time we passed the place it happened on our way to camp at Turquoise Lake. But now I look back and laugh!! ! It’s all part of the adventure… That’s what ultras are about. The Subaru that pulled over and drove me into town was driven by a guy named “Rainbow”! No regrets!
Dang, Sarah! I think you should consult with a doctor. The sudden snap and the bruising both suggest this could be something more than just a flared up IT band. How frustrating for you, when everything had been going so well too! But seriously, that looks ugly enough to get checked out. When I was googling about my hamstring suddenly going “snap” like that, I found out that it (plus bruising) was an indicator of a torn tendon. I hope I’m wrong, but something like that might have happened.
Hmmmm ... not a bad point, thank you. I'm not too worried though. It looks and feels better today. But that is a good nudge to email the photo to my sports doc and ask.
I’ve not had a DNF as yet 🤞 (not really done the distances to justify it!!), but did have to cut a looped six-hour event from a 50k to a marathon goal after an ill-advised break where I decided to lie down for a minute and couldn’t get up again for 25 due to cramp 😂
Thanks for sharing your story! Yikes, looks like an injury worth checking out. In August, I earned my first DNF badge at AC100. True, we were in a heat advisory, it was 90F at 9pm, and I'd puked my way around the San Gabriels from mile 45-72. But a big reason I dropped was my heart was no longer in it. Maybe I was feeling sorry for myself. But I think the bigger reason was that I had these amazing interactions with so many friends, both new and old, throughout the first half of the day. Hugs, smiles, high-fives, laughter, lots of ice, sun-kissed skin. My cup was full, and I was simply satisfied.
In hindsight, I regret that I quit on myself and that I didn't honor my training or fitness. But I also learned that back-to-back hundreds (I ran SD100 earlier in the summer) was maybe too much for my mind and my soul. I also learned the importance of finding joy in the process. That's why I'm running my first 50k in a week. Time to get back to the basics and just have fun (or, at least, some high-quality Type 2 fun).
Ugh, I hope your IT band and meniscus go back to behaving themselves.
Thank you for putting this all so wisely. I read it just a couple of days after I scratched a 5k I'd been looking forward to as an excuse to just go hard and (relatively) fast (for me). My meniscus (degenerative tearing, like yours!) has been very angry since one week after the peak of my athletic activities for the last six months (and arguably ten months), all of a sudden, while on a short road run. Like you, but on a far smaller scale, I pushed through the initial pain--because the knee had been twinging innocently for weeks with no escalation--and now I can't run at all and am still working on getting the swelling down. What's the term for when a goal becomes unattainable but we target-lock on it all the same? Isn't this what leads to people pushing to summits they can't come down from safely? Oof. We learn as we go, right? You learned, and you could have done much worse if you'd continued past 100k. I learned by scratching the 5k. Small steps :-) Heal well and soon!
Thanks as always for reading and relating to my post. I think the mountain-climbing version of what you're describing is "summit fever." I don't thing there's an equivalent phrase for running, unless you count Goggins' stupidly macho "stay hard." I like Courtney Dauwalter's metaphor of exploring the "pain cave," but in her case, her goal stays achievable, not unattainable.
My kneecap pain is actually cartilage degeneration under the patella (first phase of osteoarthritis), not a meniscus issue. But the IT band pain might involve a tear instead of just overuse, like a meniscus tear. We shall see. Yes, injuries are great teachers! I hope you get better, and take it easy when you return from running. I think in both our cases, it's wise to run on a flat surface when we get back to it and avoid downhills, since downhill running can aggravate it. Take care!
That looks painful Sarah, I hope it is something that heals quickly. It’s so hard to know when it’s “ok” to quit in an ultra and not have regrets. I have DNF’d a few times and questioned if my reasons were good enough for quitting. I’ve also more recently ignored pain which started at about the 50 mile point in a 100 mile race. I had so much vested in this race I refused to give up, but after you advised I go to the doctor (thank you) as the pain wasn’t going away, the doctor told me I was a total nut for not stopping when I first felt that pain. That stress fracture resulted in 10 weeks in a walking boot.
Stress fractures are particularly hard to deal with and to know when to stop… they start as an inflammatory response, which feels manageable, and then they suddenly turn into unbearable pain. I’m so sorry you went through that.
Thanks for sharing this story! Seems like you made the right decision to pull out and I like your checklist regarding whether to DNF a race. 2 months ago I encountered a similar scenario to you with knee pain starting at mile 70 during my A-race 100 mile. I ran through the pain to finish, the next day it blew up like a balloon. The swelling has gone down now but I still can't run or bike without pain. I now kind of regret finishing that race, but also realize I need to forgive myself because I can't predict the future and would have definitely have been mad at myself if I had DNFed my A race for the year. These decisions (and their aftermath) are super hard!
That looks like some bleeding/damage to tissue. Good that you stopped. Also, I could do this Ultra! I think I will sign up! Maybe you, Sarah, and some other members of this group will participate next year.
I DNF’d the Leadville 100 one year at mile 95 with time still on the clock to finish… my justification was that I already had one of their belt buckles… and I didn’t need that extra jewelry that they give the women that finish… And what if I end up with that ‘Last Ass” trophy that’s half of a donkey that they give to the last person that finishes by the 30hr cut off. I was having such a solid race until around mile 80 and things started to slow down significantly… I just was done. I think my husband was more disappointed about my insistence that I just didn’t want to continue … and I have to say I would get a little emotional over the next few years every time we passed the place it happened on our way to camp at Turquoise Lake. But now I look back and laugh!! ! It’s all part of the adventure… That’s what ultras are about. The Subaru that pulled over and drove me into town was driven by a guy named “Rainbow”! No regrets!
Dang, Sarah! I think you should consult with a doctor. The sudden snap and the bruising both suggest this could be something more than just a flared up IT band. How frustrating for you, when everything had been going so well too! But seriously, that looks ugly enough to get checked out. When I was googling about my hamstring suddenly going “snap” like that, I found out that it (plus bruising) was an indicator of a torn tendon. I hope I’m wrong, but something like that might have happened.
Hmmmm ... not a bad point, thank you. I'm not too worried though. It looks and feels better today. But that is a good nudge to email the photo to my sports doc and ask.
I’ve not had a DNF as yet 🤞 (not really done the distances to justify it!!), but did have to cut a looped six-hour event from a 50k to a marathon goal after an ill-advised break where I decided to lie down for a minute and couldn’t get up again for 25 due to cramp 😂
On the subject of DNFs, I’d highly recommend this piece from Joe Hardin on his recent DNF experience which I think sums it all up really well: https://runtrimag.com/redemption-over-regret-do-not-forget-dnf/?srsltid=AfmBOop63RpjI46iJoT2FVGh3tB1Fr9_ejtFXvVrf9n2tFbQ2avswq26
Thanks. I like how the writer uses DNF for Do Not Forget!
Way to be tough and smart sister. Live to run another day.
Thanks for sharing your story! Yikes, looks like an injury worth checking out. In August, I earned my first DNF badge at AC100. True, we were in a heat advisory, it was 90F at 9pm, and I'd puked my way around the San Gabriels from mile 45-72. But a big reason I dropped was my heart was no longer in it. Maybe I was feeling sorry for myself. But I think the bigger reason was that I had these amazing interactions with so many friends, both new and old, throughout the first half of the day. Hugs, smiles, high-fives, laughter, lots of ice, sun-kissed skin. My cup was full, and I was simply satisfied.
In hindsight, I regret that I quit on myself and that I didn't honor my training or fitness. But I also learned that back-to-back hundreds (I ran SD100 earlier in the summer) was maybe too much for my mind and my soul. I also learned the importance of finding joy in the process. That's why I'm running my first 50k in a week. Time to get back to the basics and just have fun (or, at least, some high-quality Type 2 fun).
Ugh, I hope your IT band and meniscus go back to behaving themselves.
Thank you for putting this all so wisely. I read it just a couple of days after I scratched a 5k I'd been looking forward to as an excuse to just go hard and (relatively) fast (for me). My meniscus (degenerative tearing, like yours!) has been very angry since one week after the peak of my athletic activities for the last six months (and arguably ten months), all of a sudden, while on a short road run. Like you, but on a far smaller scale, I pushed through the initial pain--because the knee had been twinging innocently for weeks with no escalation--and now I can't run at all and am still working on getting the swelling down. What's the term for when a goal becomes unattainable but we target-lock on it all the same? Isn't this what leads to people pushing to summits they can't come down from safely? Oof. We learn as we go, right? You learned, and you could have done much worse if you'd continued past 100k. I learned by scratching the 5k. Small steps :-) Heal well and soon!
Thanks as always for reading and relating to my post. I think the mountain-climbing version of what you're describing is "summit fever." I don't thing there's an equivalent phrase for running, unless you count Goggins' stupidly macho "stay hard." I like Courtney Dauwalter's metaphor of exploring the "pain cave," but in her case, her goal stays achievable, not unattainable.
My kneecap pain is actually cartilage degeneration under the patella (first phase of osteoarthritis), not a meniscus issue. But the IT band pain might involve a tear instead of just overuse, like a meniscus tear. We shall see. Yes, injuries are great teachers! I hope you get better, and take it easy when you return from running. I think in both our cases, it's wise to run on a flat surface when we get back to it and avoid downhills, since downhill running can aggravate it. Take care!
That looks painful Sarah, I hope it is something that heals quickly. It’s so hard to know when it’s “ok” to quit in an ultra and not have regrets. I have DNF’d a few times and questioned if my reasons were good enough for quitting. I’ve also more recently ignored pain which started at about the 50 mile point in a 100 mile race. I had so much vested in this race I refused to give up, but after you advised I go to the doctor (thank you) as the pain wasn’t going away, the doctor told me I was a total nut for not stopping when I first felt that pain. That stress fracture resulted in 10 weeks in a walking boot.
Stress fractures are particularly hard to deal with and to know when to stop… they start as an inflammatory response, which feels manageable, and then they suddenly turn into unbearable pain. I’m so sorry you went through that.
Thanks for sharing this story! Seems like you made the right decision to pull out and I like your checklist regarding whether to DNF a race. 2 months ago I encountered a similar scenario to you with knee pain starting at mile 70 during my A-race 100 mile. I ran through the pain to finish, the next day it blew up like a balloon. The swelling has gone down now but I still can't run or bike without pain. I now kind of regret finishing that race, but also realize I need to forgive myself because I can't predict the future and would have definitely have been mad at myself if I had DNFed my A race for the year. These decisions (and their aftermath) are super hard!
That looks like some bleeding/damage to tissue. Good that you stopped. Also, I could do this Ultra! I think I will sign up! Maybe you, Sarah, and some other members of this group will participate next year.
That’s fantastic Polly! If you were there, I’d do my best to return :-)
It just got better. I told Judy, my spouse, about it and she wants to participate too! So we will be training for our first Ultra in our 75th years!
Right on!